Make Your Point > Archived Issues > SOLIDIFY
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pronounce
SOLIDIFY:
Say it "suh LID if eye."
To hear it, click here.
connect this word to others:
Our word solidify can mean "to form into a real, meaningful whole."
So, it's a pretty close synonym of these two words we've checked out before:
1. To co__re is to stick together in a way that makes sense.
2. To co___sce is to come together in a way that's clear, real, and easy to notice.
(To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.)
definition:
Our word "solid" comes from a Latin one meaning "firm, whole, not divided."
Of course, in English, something solid is all in one piece. It's not broken, and it's not a liquid or a gas.
So, speaking both literally and figuratively, to solidify is to join together into one unbroken piece.
Here's some lava solidifying as it cools:
And here's a cake solidifying as it bakes:
More specifically, when something figuratively solidifies, that often means it's taking shape, becoming real, or becoming firm. In other words, to solidify is to become firm, strong, or real.
grammatical bits:
Part of speech:
Verb, both the transitive kind ("they solidified their knowledge") and the intransitive kind ("their knowledge solidified").
Other common forms:
solidified, solidifying, solidification
how to use it:
"Solidify" has a formal, positive tone. It's common and easily understood, but it still sounds sophisticated.
We talk about people, events, decisions, experiences, and periods of time that solidify things: "I still need to solidify my plans;" "This work solidified her legacy;" "These readings solidified his opinion;" "Those years together solidified their relationship."
We can also say that things solidify on their own: "Their opinion solidified;" "The relationship solidified."
And in sports writing in particular, we often read about wins, roles, and positions becoming solidified. Here's the Washington Post: "The Quakers solidified the league's top spot with a 54-53 win."
examples:
"The modern tea ceremony... was solidified in the late 16th century by Sen no Rikyū, the priest who established and popularized the practice."
— Heather Brady, National Geographic, 19 April 2018
"The wigs were so popular that the South Korean government banned the export of raw hair from its shores. This ensured that wigs featuring South Korean hair could only be made in South Korea. At the same time, the U.S. government banned the import of wigs that contained hair from China. Those two actions effectively solidified the dominance of South Korea in the wig market."
— Nicola Yoon, The Sun is Also a Star, 2016
has this page helped you understand "solidify"?
study it:
Explain the meaning of "solidify" without saying "cement" or "reify."
try it out:
Talk about an important set of plans you made. How long did it take for you to solidify these plans? When did you know for sure that your plans had been solidified?
before you review, play:
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
Our game this month is Perfectly Cromulent Words!
In each issue this month, match a scene from The Simpsons to the term that it calls to mind.
To see the answer, scroll to the bottom of the issue.
I've saved my favorite for last. Try this last one today:
Does the scene below suggest the term twee, melee, or idée fixe?
review this word:
A. UNION.
B. SOLITUDE.
C. DISSOLUTION.
2. From The Onion: "Leaving Dorm Room Door Open To Play Large Role In Freshman's Social Strategy... Russet speculates that people will begin by leaning against the open door frame while conversing with him before eventually feeling comfortable enough to step inside his room and solidify _____."
A. their friendship
B. a shared space
C. into a conversation
a final word:
I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love.
I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words.
From my blog:
36 ways to study words.
Why we forget words, & how to remember them.
How to use sophisticated words without being awkward.
To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.
Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.
Our word solidify can mean "to form into a real, meaningful whole."
Our word "solid" comes from a Latin one meaning "firm, whole, not divided."
Part of speech:
"Solidify" has a formal, positive tone. It's common and easily understood, but it still sounds sophisticated.
"The modern tea ceremony... was solidified in the late 16th century by Sen no Rikyū, the priest who established and popularized the practice."
Explain the meaning of "solidify" without saying "cement" or "reify."
Talk about an important set of plans you made. How long did it take for you to solidify these plans? When did you know for sure that your plans had been solidified?
Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.
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